ExDeSantis staffer Parkinson runs for Kaines Virginia seat

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Scott Parkinson, a former congressional staffer and advisor to Ron DeSantis and other Republican officials, is set to announce plans Monday to seek the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia next year. Parkinson, who works for the conservative economic policy group Club for Growth, told The Associated Press ahead of a formal announcement that frustration over pandemic-related school and business closures “changed his worldview” and pushed him to seek public office for the first time. Kaine, a fixture in Virginia politics known for his down-to-earth approach, is vulnerable because of his…